In various fields involving processing or transport of fluids it is advantageous to perform measurements of the fluid characteristics. For instance, when transporting produced hydrocarbons through steel flowlines at the seabed, knowledge of the fluid contents may optimize the transport. The fluid may typically contain a mixture of gas and oil, along with water and solids such as micro particles. Such measurements are also conducted on shore, such as at hydrocarbon processing plants or other fluid processing facilities.
A simple solution of taking fluid sample from a flowing fluid is to open a valve controlling flow through a sample line and collecting the fluid sample in a sample bottle. Other solutions which are more complex and also automated exist.
A challenge associated with fluid sampling from a flowing fluid is to collect a representative sample. If the fluid comprises different components and possibly also both gas and liquid, care must be taken in order to collect a sample that is representative of the flowing fluid.